Doctors credit swift action from strangers for saving Eric Quinn

A Miami teen who was trapped underneath a crashed car after it barreled into a bus bench in Miami Gardens last month thanked rescuers from his hospital bed on Thursday.

Eric Quinn, 16, nearly died in the crash, but his clear head and the kindness of strangers likely saved his life.

The Krop High School student was waiting for a county bus when a white Nissan came across Northwest 199th Street, toward S.R. 441.

"I turned around and saw the car speed up and hit the back of another car," Quinn said.

According to police, the car then swerved and plowed into the people standing at the bus stop with him.

"There was a lot of screaming -- panicking," Quinn said.

In seconds, the car ran over Quinn, trapping him underneath. He said he knew he had to stay alert and told himself to not give up.

"I was like, 'Somebody, please get this car off me,'" he said.

In seconds, there was a glimmer of hope.

"Then out of nowhere, some guy grabbed a big chunk of grass and it got brighter and I was like, 'Is somebody out there?' And I was like, 'Yes, please help me, get this car off me,'" he said.

David James, a barber who was working across the street, heard the screams. Down the road, brothers Conrad and Austin Hines ran to help. The trio, along with at least five other men, hoisted the white sedan off Quinn.

"That was very heroic. And things could have been a lot different. Eric, in general, is very lucky," Lee said.

Mary Smith, 83, died after the crash. Several others were hospitalized. The driver of the white Nissan, 29-year-old Mark Derefaka, will face multiple charges, including vehicular homicide and driving without a valid license.